New Orleans Saints vs St. Louis Rams connections

Take a look at the connections between the Saints and the Rams before Friday's preseason game

*Assistant head coach/linebackers Joe Vitt coached defensive backs with the Rams for the club’s final three seasons in Los Angeles from 1992-94. He rejoined them, serving as asst. head coach/linebackers from 2004-05, taking over the head coaching reigns for the final 11 games of 2005.

*Defensive assistant/linebackers Brian Young was a fifth round draft pick of the Rams in 2000 and played for St. Louis from 2000-03.St. Louis strength coach Rock Gullickson served in the same position in New Orleans from 2000-05.

*Head equipment manager Dan Simmons is a St. Louis native who graduated from Meramec College. Simmons, worked for his father, Bill, who served in a similar position with the St. Louis Cardinals.

*Rams dir./player programs La’Roi Glover played for New Orleans from 1997-2001, is ranked seventh on the club’s all-time list with 50 sacks, and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2013.

*Assistant secondary coach Andre Curtis served as defensive backs/safeties coach in St. Louis from 2009-11.

*Wide receivers coach Henry Ellard was a second-round draft pick of the Rams in 1983 and spent 11 years with the club. At the time of his retirement from the NFL in 1998, Ellard held the Rams’ team records for career receptions (593), receiving yards (9/761), 100-yard games (26), punt return average (11.3) and total offense (11,663). In 1988, he enjoyed his finest season as he led the NFC in receptions (86) and led the NFL in receiving yards (1,414)...He also coached for the Rams from 2001-08, serving as the club’s wide receivers coach his final six seasons with the club.

*Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and Rams special teams coordinator John Fassell served on the same staff in Oakland in 2008. Ryan tutored Rams secondary coach Chuck Cecil in Arizona from 1994-95.

*Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams served in the same capacity for New Orleans from 2009-11.

*QB Drew Brees was tutored by Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in San Diego from 2002-05. Ellard and Schottenheimer served on the same staff with the New York Jets from 2009-11.

*Rams assistant strength coach Adam Bailey served as a coach in the Saints strength program from 2004-09.

*Rams offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau served in the same position with the Saints from 1987-93.

*Rams quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti served in the same position in New Orleans from 2000-01.